Tex Sutton Still Pursuing New Lease on Cargo Plane

Tex Sutton Equine Air Transportation, seeking a new lease for a 727 cargo plane to transport horses, is still "weeks or even a couple months" away from resuming full operations, company president Rob Clark said May 19. Tex Sutton continues to act as an authorized agent for equine travel via FedEx.

The disruption of Tex Sutton's services came to light shortly after the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs. A week later, trainer Bob Baffert sent Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit  by van to Pimlico Race Course to compete in the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1), along with stablemate Concert Tour  and other Baffert trainees. Numerous other Kentucky horses traveled by van to run in the Preakness or other stakes at the Maryland track last week. 

In years past, Tex Sutton flights carried Derby winners and other Preakness competitors to Pimlico. Horsemen often prefer to shorten travel time by flying their stakes horses rather than vanning them, the customary method of shipping most horses.

Clark said finding a replacement aircraft for equine transport is not "going to happen overnight," delayed by one potential aircraft undergoing a maintenance check that requires the removal of components and a full inspection. He said his company is considering a 727 aircraft with a smaller capacity as an alternative, but that plane might have one less seat to accommodate a passenger accompanying the horses.

"In the meantime, we're able to use FedEx and we're still moving horses," Clark said.

FedEx flights are expected to carry horses from California to New York to compete in the June 5 Belmont Stakes (G1) and other stakes contested at Belmont Park in early June. As an agent for FedEx, Tex Sutton lists two scheduled flights on its website going from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J., May 29 and June 2 in the lead-up to the Belmont Stakes in New York. As of 5 p.m. ET May 19, none were listed as departing from Kentucky.

California-based Rombauer  flew into Newark before vanning to Pimlico prior to his Preakness victory. He has since vanned to Belmont, where he is under consideration for the final leg of the Triple Crown.

A dedicated aircraft allows Tex Sutton to schedule trips on demand and fly directly into certain airfields to minimize travel time. Its staff also specializes in shipping horses.

Regarding alternatives to securing a new lease, Clark said chartering a plane is cost-prohibitive. That would make a full flight of horses a necessity.

"Going forward, even when we get the dedicated airplane up in the air, we are still going to want to utilize FedEx to fill in some gaps when it isn't really feasible for us to send a whole plane," Clark said.